Romantic tree shortlisted

An iconic tree with a romantic history has been shortlisted in a national competition to find the Tree of the Year’ 2018.

Nellie’s Tree in Aberford is one of England’s finalists in the contest run by The Woodland Trust.

History has it that nearly 100 years ago, a young Garforth man, Victor Stead, would walk along the old colliery railway to visit his girlfriend Nellie Mosby in nearby Aberford.

One day Victor came across three beech saplings on his route and grafted them to form the letter N, for Nellie.

Vic and Nellie would go on to marry and have a family and although they are now both gone, Nellie’s Tree’ still remains and is known as the Love Tree’ by locals. It is also now a symbol for the Save Parlington Action Group for the protection of the woods against development.

Vote at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/tree-of-year-2018 by October 8.